Key lever adjusting mechanism



arch 16, 1937. 'J. F. KocA 2,073,843

KEY LEVER ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed March 2, 1953 5 sheets-sheet 1 innen-2 0? March 16, 1937. J. F. KocA KEY LEVER ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed March 2, 1955 5 Sheets-Shea?l 2 A C O K F. IJ.

KEY LEVER ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed March 2, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 March i6, w37. J. F. KOCA KEY LEVER ADJ-USTIN G MECHANISM Filed March 2, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 16, 1937. J. F. KOCA KEY LEVER ADJUSTING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l Filed March. 2, 1955 Patented Mar. 16, '191Wy PArsNfr orme KEY LEVER ADJUSTING MECHANISM James F. Koca, Woodsto ck, Ill., assignor to Woodstock Typewriter Company, Woodstock, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application March 2, 1933, Serial No. 659,335

9 Claims.

inventionrelates to typewriters in general and `means for regulating the tension of the keys on the keyboard. More specifically, the invention relates to means for adjusting the movement of the key levers.

The primary object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for regulating the tension on the key levers either singly or collectively.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for regulating the movement or the length of stroke of the key levers of an electrically operated typewriter.

A further object of the invention is to provide l5 novel and improved means for varying the tension of the key levers either singly or collectively, and to adjustably limit the movement or stroke of the key levers..

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the following specification.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a selected embodiment of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a detail transverse sectional View of a typewriter and embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan section of the mechanism .or devices used for regulating or adjusting, either .singly or collectively, the tension on the various key levers.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View of the construction shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but a modification thereof.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that sho-wn in Fig. 3, but shows the modification of the device shown in Fig. 4 on the line. 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vdetail sectional View on the lines 6 6 of Figs. 4 and 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail transverse sectional View showing the means for regulating the movement of the key levers.

Fig. 8 is a detail front elevation of some of the mechanism shown in Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a detail plan section of the members shown in Fig. 8 on the line 9--9` of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a'detail perspective view of several of the parts shown in Figs. 'l to 9.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 'l but showing a modification of the means for varying the depression stroke.

Fig. 12 is a detail plan section on the line I2-l 2 of Fig. 11.

55 f Fig. 13 is a detail perspective View of several of the parts comprising the depression stroke regulating means shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

The particular typewriter herein shown by the way of illustration is a Woodstock typewriter and comprises a frame I0 upon which key levers II are arranged in the usual manner. The key levers Il have their rear ends l2 operatively supported by a transverse rod I3 which is removably supported in the sub-frame I4 of the typewriter. Type bar actuators I5 are controlled by the key levers and operate type bars I5 through the intermediary of sub-levers Il. Key lever latches I3 are carried by the key levers and shift the type bar actuators downwardly into engagement with an actuator drive shaft i3 upon depression of the key levers. The actuator drive shaft I9 may be driven in any suitable manner, preferably by a belt, not shown, driven by a motor, not shown. The actuator drive shaft I3 rotates in the direc.- tion of the arrow, Fig. 1, and pulls the type bar actuator to the left when the hook or tooth 25 of the type bar actuator is moved into engagement by the latch I8 upon operation of a key lever i i. This pulling force causes the type bar actuator I5 to move to the left and operate the sublever Il to swing the type bar Iii on its pivot 2l into impression engagement with a platen 22.

A spring 23 for each key lever II engages the underside of the key lever as indicated at 24, Fig. 1, and each spring is arranged in its respective hole 25 formed in the transverse member 26 of the sub-frame lll. Each spring 23 is for the purpose of creating the proper tension on the key levers and to hold the key levers in their normal initial upward position.

Means are provided for varying the tension of each spring 23 and therebyV varying the tension against the key levers to conform to the individual or preferred stroke of the operator or typist. This means comprises an adjusting bar 2l which is slidingly mounted on end posts 28 which threadedly engage the sub-frame I4 as indicated at 29, Fig. 3. The bar 2l is, therefore, free to slide vertically on the posts 28. A nut 35 engages each post 28 and holds the bar in normal adjusted position. The bar 2l carries a plurality of adjusting screws 3|, there being one screw for each opening 25 and in alinement with said openings, and their purpose is to adjust the tension on the compression springs 23. The ends of the screws 3i may extend into the openings 25 a predetermined distance and engage the springs to vary the tension thereon according to the movement which is given the screws. Therefore, when the screws 3I are screwed further into the bar, the tension of the springs 23 is increased, while movement of the screws in a reverse direction causes the tension to be lessened. These screws provide for individual adjustment of each key lever.

To vary the tension on the key levers collectively the bar 21 is raised and lowered by the operation of the nuts 38 and by a central bar engaging member 32 which is primarily employed to take the strain off the bar 21 when the normal adjustment is made by the nuts 39. Due to the fact that the bar 21 must be made of relatively light material, the bar would tend to bow in the center if some means were not employed to brace the bar intermediate its ends. The member 32 is to accomplish this latter purpose. The member 32 has a horizontal portion 33 and a turned up end 34 which is provided with holes 35 into which the ends 36 of holding screws 31 extend. A screw 38 having a multi-sided head 39 passes through the flat portion 33 of the member 32 and threadedly engages a boss 40 formed integral with the sub-frame |4. The llat plate or horizontal portion 33 of the member 32 is cut away as indicated at 4|, Fig. 2, to provide spaced projections 42 which engage the underside of the bar 21. rIhereiore, upon rotation of the screw 33, the member 32 will be raised and lowered by swinging the same on its fulcrum 43 and move the central portion of the bar 21 in perfect alinement to conform with the adjustment performed by the nuts 38.

Spring fingers 44 on a strip 45 made of spring material, are held in position on the bar 21 by a plate 45 which is held in position by screws 41. The spring fingers 44 are adapted to engage the screws 3| to prevent unauthorized movement or rotation of these screws.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 4 to 6 the bar 21 is slidably mounted on posts 5U which threadedly engage inturned ears 5| as designated at 52. The individual adjusting screws 3| abut a plug 53 which has free slidable movement in the holes 25. The springs23 engage the upper surfaces of the plug instead of engaging the upper ends of the screws as shown in Fig. 1.

A longitudinal member 54 has a flat base or plate 55 and an integral oset upwardly extending portion 56 having a rounded portion 51 which is provided with spaced holes 58 into which the lends 59 of supporting screws 60 extend. A brace 6I has a lower leg 62 Xed to the horizontal plate 55 of the member 54 and an upper leg 63 which is xed to the upper edge of the vertical portion 56 of the member 54. A thumb screw 64 passes through the frame |0 and through the part 56 of the member 54 and the leg 63 of the brace 6| to swing the member 32 on its fulcrum 65, there being a nut 66 threadedly engaging the stem of the screw 64. This nut is held non-rotatively by means of ears 61 struck out from the leg 63 of the brace 6|. Thus, when the thumb nut 64 is fturned, the member 54 will swing on its fulcrum 65 and cause lowering or raising adjustment of the bar 21. The same spring fingers 44 are connected to the bar 21 as previously explained for 'preventing rotary movement of the screws 3|. The construction just described causes adjustment of the bar 21 by a single thumb screw 64 as rotation of the thumb screw 94 will move the member 54 and cause raising or lowering movement of the bar 21 in accordance with the direction the screw 64 is turned.

Means are also provided for changing or varying the distance the key levers travel vertically upon depression of a key lever key, and this means comprises a longitudinal strip 10 made of sound deadening material such as ber, Fig. '1.

The strip 18 is provided with diagonal slots 1| which engage pins 12 projecting forwardly from the ilange 13 of an angle member 14. The strip 18 is positioned between the ilange 13 on the member 14 and the flange 15 of a supporting member 16 which is lxed to the main frame of the typewriter. The upper flange 11 of the member 14 abuts the underside of the flange 18 of the member 16. Screws 19 pass through elongated slots 89 in the member 14 and threadedly engage the threaded holes 8| as indicated at 82, Fig. 7, the member 14 being adapted for lateral slidable movement relative to the member 16. The member 14 is provided with a turned ear 83, Fig. l0, having a threaded opening 84 to receive the threaded end 85 of a thumb screw 88. The thumb screw 85 is revolubly mounted in the frame I8 as indicated at 81, Fig. 9. Pins 88 project inwardly from the inner face of flange 15 of the support 16 and act as a guide for the strip 10. Upon rotation of the thumb screw 86, the angle member 14 will be moved to the right or left and due to the pinand slot connection between the strip 18 and the-member 14, the strip 10 will be caused to raise or lower depending upon the direction the screw 86 is rotated. The key levers are, therefore, spaced between the usual bottom rest and the bottom edge 89 of the strip 10. The bottom rest is xed and, therefore, by raising and lowering the strip 1D, the key levers are limited in their vertical movement or travel. The operator or typist, by merely operating a single 3 thumb screw 86, may thus regulate or adjust the vertical movement of the type levers to suit the individual desire.

In Figs. 1l to 13 there is shown a modied arrangement of parts for performing the same operation previously described relative to the mechanism shown in Figs. 7-10. The modied arrangement shown in Figs. 11 to 13 comprises a strip 98 made of sound deadening material, such as ber. Pins 9| project from the strip 99 and are adapted to engage diagonal slots 92 formed in an intermediate member 93 and vertical slots 94 formed in the front flange 95 of the supporting member 96. The member 93 and the strip 98 are arranged between the front flange 95 and the rear flange 91 of the supporting member 96. The supporting member96-is xed to the 4frame I0, while the member 93 is adapted to have free lateral slidable movement relative to the supporting member.

The member 93 is provided with an inturned ear 98 which is adapted to receive the threaded end 99 of a thumbscrew |09. The thumb screw |68 has free revoluble movement relative to the frame l0 and is provided with a thumb piece |8| for rotating the screw. During rotative movement of the screw |90, the member 93 will be moved laterally and due to the slot'andpin connection between the member 93 and the strip 90, the strip will be forced to travel or be moved vertically, the slots 94 acting as guides for the strip 90.

The two parts, including the member 96, are fastened together by suitable means such as screws |82. From the construction just described and as clearly shown in Figs. 11 to 13, vertical movement of the key levers is restricted.

The invention provides improved. and simple means for varying or regulating the tension on the key levers either singly or collectively as well Cil as collectively adjusting the stroke or vertical movement of all the key levers.

Changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacricing any of the advantages thereof, and the right is hereby reserved to make all suchchanges as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a typewriter having a sub-frame and key levers pivotally connected to said sub-frame, an adjusting bar, springs carried by the sub-frame, adjusting screws carried by said adjusting bar for individually adjusting each spring to vary the spring tension on the key levers, means at the ends of the bar for adjusting the bar and consequently collectively adjusting all the springs, and shiftable means engaging the bar intermediate its ends to adjust the bar centrally of its ends.

2. In a typewriter having a sub-frame, key levers pivotally connected to the sub-frame, a rigid bar below the key levers and having openings therein, springs in the openings and operatively engaging the levers, a movable second bar below the rigid bar, means slidingly supporting the second bar to the frame, means at the ends of the second bar for adjusting the second bar relative to the said rigid bar, screws engaging the second bar for varying the tension of the springs individually, and means intermediate the ends of the second bar and adaptable for engagement therewith to adjust the intermediate part of the bar equal to the adjusted ends thereof.

3. In a typewriter having a sub-frame, key levers pivotally connected to the sub-frame, a

rigid bar fixed to the sub-frame below the 4key levers and having openings therein, springs in the openings and operatively engaging the levers, a movable second bar below the rigid iirst bar, means slidingly supporting the movable bar to the rigid bar, screws in the movable bar for individually varying the tension of the springs relative to the key levers, and a member movably connected to the typewriter and engaging the movable bar to support said movable bar and to slidingly adjust the movable bar.

4. In a typewriter having a sub-frame, key levers pivotally connected to the sub-frame, a transverse member formed with the sub-frame below the key levers and having openings therein, springs in the openings and operatively engaging the levers, a movable bar arranged immediately below the transverse member, screws in the bar for individually varying the tension of the springs relative to the key levers, and means for adjustably connecting the bar to the frame comprising a primary supporting` means movably connected to the typewriter and engaging the bar to adjust the same and consequently vary the tension of all of the springs relative to all of the key levers, and secondary supporting means arranged to contact the bar in spaced relation to the primary supporting means and to maintain the alignment of said bar.

5. In a typewriter, a. sub-frame, key levers pivotally connected to the sub-frame, a plurality of springs operatively engaging the levers, housing means for partially enclosing the springs whereby to coniine the springs against transverse motion while leaving them free for longitudinal motion, a movable bar arranged immediately below the housing means, screws in the bar for individually varying the tension of the springs relative to the key levers, and means for adjustably connecting the bar to the frame comprising primary supporting means movably connected to the typewriter and engaging the bar to adjust the same and consequently vary the tension of all of the springs relative to all the key levers, and secondary supporting means arranged to contact the bar in spaced relation to the primary supporting means and to maintain the alignment of said bar.

6. In a typewriter having key levers, spring means. for each of the key levers, means for individually varying the tension of each of the spring means, means for varying the tension of all the spring means collectively, and means for variably limiting the stroke of the key levers,

said last mentioned means also functioning to additionally lvary the tension of said spring means.

7. In a typewriter having type bars and key levers for operating the type bars, means for regulating the tension and stroke of the key levers comprising tension means for urging the key levers into a predetermined position, means for varying the tension of said means both individually and collectively, adjustable means for variably controlling the vertical movement ofthe key levers comprising a shiftable frame adapted to Y engage all the key levers at predetermined positions, and means for moving the frame to any selected one of the predetermined positions, said last named means being capable of holding the frame at the selected position after the selected position has been reached, said adjustable means also functioning, through the key levers, to additionally vary the tension of all the tension means.

8. In a typewriter having key levers, spring means for each of the key levers, means for in dividually varying the tension of each of the spring means, means for varying the tension of all the spring means collectively, means for variably limiting the stroke of the key levers, said means comprising a limiting bar member adapted to engage all the key levers, actuating means on the said bar member, a shiftable actuating ybar movably mounted on the typewriter having means thereon engageable with the actuating means on the said limiting bar member whereby to cause said limiting bar member to move contemporaneously with the movement of the actuating bar, and means operatively associated with the actuating bar to move the actuating bar to, and hold it at, any selected position in the path of its travel, said limiting means functioning also, through the key levers, to additionally vary the tension of all the spring means collectively.

9, In a typewriter having key levers, spring means for supporting each of the key levers, means for individually varying the tension of each ofv the spring means, means for varying the tension of all of the springs collectively, and additional means acting upon the key levers for varying the stroke of the key levers, said last" 

